By Erik Gudris | Thursday, January 21, 2016
Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov face off against each other while Nick Kyrgios will face a top ten player on Day Five.
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Each day we'll preview and predict results for several must-see Melbourne matches. Day 5 previews are here.
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(3) Roger Federer vs. (27) Grigor Dimitrov
Rod Laver Arena (third match)
Head-to-head: Federer leads 4-0
Roger Federer is going for a landmark 300th career Grand Slam singles win in this match. If he does it, he’ll be the first man ever to achieve this feat. (Martina Navratilova has the most of anyone at 306 wins.)
Federer once again faces Dimitrov in as many weeks having just played the Bulgarian in Brisbane. That match was a close contest going three sets with a less than 100% Federer finally prevailing. This matchup has always been intriguing not only because Dimitrov has been nicknamed “Baby Fed” but also because so many expected Dimitrov to become a future No. 1.
Dimitrov had a less than stellar 2015 season and he’s looking for a good start to this season. With Federer feeling much better now, Dimitrov’s chances all depend on how he attacks Federer’s serve and takes control of the net away from Federer. This certainly could prove to be an entertaining match, but does Dimitrov really have what it takes to finally beat Federer for the first time?
The Pick: Federer in four sets
(9) Tomas Berdych vs. (29) Nick Kyrgios
Rod Laver Arena (second night match)
Head-to-head: First time meeting
A tantalizing first time meeting between the top 10 mainstay Czech and the volatile Australian. Not only is this a contrast of emotional demeanor, but also playing styles.
Certainly Kyrgios will have the home crowd on his side and how that effects, or doesn’t, Berdych could be the X factor in this one. The other big factor could be Kyrgios’ emotions which tend to run hot and cold, like his game, depending on the scoreline.
Berdych will certainly need to serve well and not let Kyrgios’ all court game disrupt him. Kyrgios made need to take more chances than usual, especially if the score is tight, and not try to outmatch Berdych in baseline rallies all the time. This one is tough to call, but it may just be the Aussie is due for another top ten win and end Berdych’s seven match win streak against Australians.
The Pick: Kyrgios in five sets
(9) Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vs. Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Margaret Court Arena (second match)
Head-to-head: First meeting
An intriguing first meeting between a mainstay of French tennis and perhaps the next big star for that country.
Tsonga, a finalist several years, once again could be a dark horse to go deep in the event. But only depending if he can avoid the off days he is prone to against lower ranked opponents. Herbert is a tall lanky player who often likes to finish off points up at net. That’s especially true given his success on the doubles court, including winning the US Open men’s doubles title with Nicolas Mahut.
If Tsonga plays up to all of his talents, this should be his match. But if lets Herbert dictate early, this could easily go five sets.
The Pick: Tsonga in four sets
The complete order of play is here.